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Mitchell Turk
D.Alburger
English III
Mitchell Turk
D.Alburger
English III
Nuclear Physics
Since the early twentieth century, nuclear energy has shaped the world. The first
energy production. Over time, however, as physicists came to better understand the atom and
its nucleus, they began to exploit its properties to enhance the fields of medicine,
technology apply physics in computation, materials detection, navigation, and space travel.
All of the innovations in these fields result from an era of rapid discovery that started in the
late nineteenth century and continues today as part of the field of subatomic physics. This
field of study focuses on researching matter in its smallest constituents (specifically, smaller
than the atom). These constituents include atomic nuclei, all particles that atomic nuclei
consist of, and all other particles smaller than the atom. The field of subatomic physics grew
and underwent a division during this time into two more specific areas of study, nuclear and
particle physics. The ideas and principles of particles physics remain quite intriguing.
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Credited with the discoveries of fundamental pieces of the “standard model of physics”.
Without these, much of modern physics and the innovations that have come about as a result
would not exist; however, in the eyes of many, nuclear physics serves as an area of greater
simply has more career opportunities that already exist today. This along with the fact that
nuclear physics remains a field of utmost importance in acquiring new data concerning the
atom, its nucleus, and the reactions and processes that take place within it.
Nuclear physics has led to the discovery and further understanding of subatomic
particles and atomic nuclei. In addition, while rapid development and increasing innovation
in numerous fields often characterizes the twentieth century, far more discovery and growth
took place in nuclear physics. A century may seem like plenty of time for such progress to
occur, but compared to other time periods, the rate of growth experienced in nuclear physics
had no precedent. Over the course of the century, researchers went from proving basic
theories regarding the makeup of large molecules, to proving the existence of smaller
components of nucleons such as quarks (Dziak). This began with the scientists Ernest
Rutherford and Niels Bohr mapping the structure of the atom in an astonishingly accurate
way, and despite current models far outshining it, physicists may have never gotten this far
without this model. Commonly referred to as the Rutherford-Bohr model, it provided the
most detailed depiction of the atom up to that time. It also correctly depicted the existence of
protons and neutrons in the nucleus and displayed the manner in which electrons surrounded
the nucleus. For decades, common belief held that only these nuclear components existed.
Eventually, however, the existence of two other mysterious particles came to the attention of
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researchers. These particles, called neutrinos and positrons caused a revolution in the field.
Their identification led to a time of rapid discovery that led to scanning atoms beyond human
perception; eventually, resulting in the discovery of delta, sigma, and epsilon particles. With
each of these discoveries, one by one, the number of theories proposed to explain the
end of the twentieth century, physicists would discover almost one hundred particles. Also,
regarding more modern research and development in the twenty-first century, physicists have
started synthesizing new elements in particle accelerators and developing methods that can
allow for the manipulation of matter on the molecular level (Ananthanarayan). All of these
advancements have further proven what researchers refer to as the “standard model of
physics” to hold the most true correct. This model of physics remains the most accurate
prediction of modern physics. It includes descriptions of all the particles we have discovered
and describes their properties (Krishnan). With the discoveries and predictions of the
standard model, scientists have started altering the chemical-electric composition of special
materials (often semiconductors) and altering its uses by infusing new ions into these
materials (a process called doping). A very common semiconductor, for example, the
element silicon, applies to a variety of technologies and fields after the “doping” process
ends, including the development of jewels and computer chips (Auerbach). This path will
only continue to create new opportunities for research and discovery. Though, in order to
come to this conclusion, a necessary step needed to take place: conducting an inquiry into the
Physics does indeed have a history of making great contributions to science and
industry and continues to do so. Countless examples permeate the last century as well as
more contemporary history. The first example of such innovations, the development of the
atomic bomb, a weapon of unfathomable power that could destroy entire cities and leave
entire regions uninhabitable for decades due to radioactive fallout. It worked by starting a
chain fission reaction, which would result in explosions of immense size. The heat given off
from the blast of one of these weapons could cause third degree burns from miles away and
could potentially kill entire armies. Two designs came to fruition during the “Manhattan
Project,” the project started by the U.S government to produce nuclear weapons. The first
called “little boy,” which used a uranium pellet “gun” design which fired a uranium pellet
into a chamber where the chain fission reaction took place. The second bomb, “fat man,” an
implosion type nuclear weapon, ended up somewhat more devastating. Despite the fact that
“fat man” yielded a slightly more powerful blast, both resulted in an explosion with the force
of thousands of tons of TNT (Pearson). Eventually, fusion reactions would act as an initial
explosion that would cause much more devastating explosions, equivalent to the explosive
forces of millions of tons of TNT. Explosive forces of this magnitude could flatten islands
and shatter windows hundreds of miles away. In the 1950’s and 60’s, the cold war took
center stage; however, some scientists remained more interested in creating sustainable
fission based power. This interest led to the world's first nuclear reactors, which could
provide energy to entire cities for decades without the need to add more fuel. Unfortunately,
“sustainable” did not quite describe the actual technology itself, even for more contemporary
designs. Although fission reactions do provide decades worth of power, the waste it produces
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has very harmful properties such as high radioactivity and toxicity. Sealing the waste
underground remains the only reliable method of storage. Though, over time, the waste still
finds ways to seep out of the structures that engineers built to contain it. Also, only
approximately thirty percent of the heat produced by the reactor will end up utilized by the
turbine as steam to provide usable electricity. However, due to the world's immediate
problems such as water scarcity and future electricity demands, nuclear energy has once
again become more needed than ever. It could provide a long term solution to the energy
crisis and potentially a bridge to the “hydrogen economy” (a system where hydrogen would
provide society its primary energy source) assuming that a “hydrogen economy” ever occurs.
Fortunately, the new reactor designs needed to accomplish the aim of low waste and
high efficiency would require new physicists to help manage and design them. Meanwhile, in
other areas of study, new technologies have allowed for the observation of things much
smaller than the atom and their interactions. A common example includes particle
accelerators, large ring shaped machines that accelerate particles to near light speed and then
collide them with other particles to analyze the energy released by the collision. Other
devices include spectrometers, machines that analyze the wavelength of light given off by an
atom, and frequency analyzers, designed to detect radiation and its intensity. Current research
uses this new technology to focus on potential applications in nuclear medicine, archaeology,
and space exploration. In medicine, doctors may administer special radioactive materials to
patients to allow for the easy detection of illnesses such as cancer. The process involves
injecting the patient with radioactive materials that collect in specific locations in the body.
Depending on the intended use, these materials can end up in tumors or infected areas. The
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doctors then use special machines to measure the radiation coming from the patient to
determine the location of tumors, infections, or other illnesses. Using this technique, the
doctor can efficiently diagnose a patient and formulize a more specialized treatment plan
designed specifically for the patient and their illness. This has made it far easier for doctors
to identify and treat complex cancers that often spread throughout the body (Yordanova). In
archaeology, a special method of detecting specific atomic nuclei exists to determine the age
of a sample. The process called “neutron activation analysis” exposes the sample to a beam
of neutrons that interact with the sample and alters its structure. This alteration frequently
leaves the nuclei with excess energy, energy that releases when the researchers remove the
sample from the beam. The amount of energy released depends on the identity of the affected
nuclei, making it possible to identify it based upon this (Howes). Nuclear physicists also
experience high demand in space exploration. Space remains constantly saturated with
harmful cosmic rays, solar winds, and other types of radiation. The radiation can bring
extreme harm to the astronauts and can cause electronics onboard spacecraft to fail.
Currently, new research for discovering new lighter materials that could also provide
protection from this radiation requires the expertise of nuclear physicists. Although there
exist many methods of protection from radiation, most of them involve heavy elements,
which require more time and effort to get into orbit. With this in mind, physics also studies
the interaction between particles, radiation, and the nuclei of atoms. Despite all these new
opportunities however, fewer people tend to become physicists than ever (Lartigue). Which
means that the field offers a high demand with low supply, and therefore, little competition.
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Now that so many industries have started implementing using radioactive materials
and tracers into their processes, nuclear physicists have come into high demand. A thorough
understanding of and education in nuclear physics can lead to a successful and fulfilling
career. The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics collected employment and wage
information for physicists overall and cited that approximately 16,860 physicists exist
nationwide. Out of these physicists, they calculated that the annual median wage of a
physicist stood at around $106,370 (LaPointe). So with the high demand and high average
pay, it would make sense that more people would try to get into the field than ever. However,
in order to achieve any sort of real credibility in physics requires at least a master's degree.
This may deter someone from pursuing the subject. In short, the low number of physicists
now employed likely resulted from the high expectations of the people involved in the field.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics collected these statistics in 2010, but they remain credible.
Most attribute this to the amount of innovation involved in the industry remaining steady.
Also, importantly, the employment statistics provided refers to physicists in general, not only
nuclear physicists. The Bureau does not collect data on employment for specific types of
physicists such as nuclear physicists. Of course, it does include nuclear physicists in its
general data. With this data, it remains a logical conclusion that nuclear physics is a field
with a great amount of opportunity and with a higher than average compensation level. The
basis for this conclusion combines my own judgement and that of a real physicist. “Physics is
like a stamp that proves you can think and learn. Unlike many other degrees you get to make
your own path.” (Taylor). This quote from the physicist interviewed for this paper provides a
professional perspective and opinion on the issue, and describes why physics stands as a field
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Nuclear physics remains a field that makes significant contributions to society. The
innovations that have occurred as a result vary and have affected many fields in their
development. Without nuclear physics, much of the modern technology that humanity uses
daily would not function properly or perform with much reliability whatsoever. Examples of
these fields include medicine, architecture, manufacturing, and technology. Medicine has
involving nuclear plants and storage of radioactive waste requires professional input and
expertise. Manufacturing uses tracers and chemically altered substances in the products it
produces. Tech giants constantly require semiconductors in creating electronic devices. The
discoveries that paved the way for these innovations, achieved in rapid succession, did what
it took other fields centuries to accomplish. Scientists across the globe studied and
manipulated particles to see how they worked. Theories created in the wake of these
discoveries, theories that form the basis for the current understanding of the universe,
continue to define modern physics. With these new theories, new areas of innovation have
come to the attention of scientists. New, more sustainable nuclear reactors offer a promising
solution for the world's energy crisis. Archaeologists now examine the decay of atoms to
determine the age of the specimens that they have uncovered and doctors can identify tumors
throughout the body using nuclear tracers. Due to these developments, nuclear physicists
remain in high demand. Wages continue to rise and will continue to until the supply of
physicists meets the demand. Unfortunately, the requirements for any sort of recognition in
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these sciences require extensive studies and schooling. A commitment some people cannot
afford or others have no interest in pursuing. Precisely why nuclear physicists, despite high
In conclusion, nuclear physics will likely remain an indispensable field, one where
numerous advances have taken place that should. A field where the opportunities for a
successful career continue to increase dramatically and will likely provide a successful,
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